Switch and operating mechanism



s a d 0 M o w No. 517,002. Patented Mar. 20, 1894..

IN VENTOH A Tron/v5 rs WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

JOSEPH E. DOWNER, OF ALLENPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH AND OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,002, dated March 20, 1894. Application filed July 25, 1893. Serial No. 481,427. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E.-DOWNER, of Allenport, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new andnseful Improvement in Switches and Opcrating Mechanism Therefor of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in switches and operating mechanism therefor, and it has for its object to provide a means whereby a switch may be set either for the main line or for a siding, and this may be done from atrain while the latter is in motion.

A further object of the invention is to producea switch shifting mechanism to be operated upon by a trip mechanism, located upon the train the shifting mechanism being positive in its action and exceedingly simple in its construction.

Theinvention consistsin the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figurel is a plan view of a section of track, illustrating a portion of a main line, a portion of the switch, and the switch-shifting mechanism being also shown in plan view, the housing of said mechanism being in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism adapted to operate the shifting shaft, the housing of the said mechanism being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken practically on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the connections in the shifting mechanism.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown a .section of a main track A and a section of a siding B. The siding joins the main track in the usual manner, and the switch points 10 and 11, may be of any approved construction, the said points being connected by a rod 11, whereby they move in unison. A sleeper 12, is located at one side of the main track, for example, or the said sleeper 12 may be a continuation of one that supports the track; and upon the sleeper 12 a bar 13, is held to tion thereof,and the shifting shaft is-mounted in suitable bearings located preferably upon the sleeper 12, and likewise upon a second sleeper 16, parallel with the sleeper 12 and placed a predetermined distance from it, as shown in both Figs. 1 and 3. A gear 17, preferably-of a segmental shape is mounted securely upon the end of the shaft that is over the rack bar, and the gear meshes with the teeth of the said bar, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At the opposite end of the shifting shaft 16,

a crank arm 18, is formed, and this crank arm is connected by a rod 19, with the adjacent switch point 10. The switch points are therefore moved either to close the main line or to open up communication between it and the siding, by the manipulation of the shifting shaft 16, said manipulation being accomplished through the medium of the rack bar 13. In order that the action of the gear 17 upon the rack bar shall not be interfered with, these two parts are covered by a housing 20, which is preferably hinged at one end to the sleeper 12, and is provided with any approved form of look at its opposite end.

The rack bar 13, is pivotally connected with a link 21, and the link extends beneath the rails of the main track to the opposite side of said track, and is there connected with a lever 22, ordinarily of an elbow or triangular construction, said lever being pivoted at one of its angled or contracted ends upon a convenient sleeper or equivalent support, as shown in Fig. 1. The link is connected with a second point of the lever, while the thirdpoint of the lever is connected with two bars 23 and 24:, which lead in opposite directions and extend parallel to the track. The'connection between these bars and the leveris shown in detail in Fig. 4. Both of the bars ICO rod 23 or 2% is manipulated the lever will be turned upon its pivot. The rod 2 3, is connected with one point of a second angled lever 25, fulcrumed at a second point upon a suitable support; and the third point of this lever has pivotal connection with a connecting rod 26, and the said rod is pivotally connected with one end of a shifting block 27, the said block being pivoted at its center about centrally between the rails of the main track, facing the switch points. The shifting block 27, may be made of any desired length, and both of its side surfaces are concaved. The rod 24:, which extends in an opposite direction to the rod 23, may be much longer than the rod 23, as it is carried to a point opposite both the main track and thesiding, and is there connected with one point of an angled lever 28, which angled lever has pivotally connected with it a link 29, which extends partially across the main track and connects with one end of a shifting block 30, similar to the block 27, and located in like manner as said block, the two blocks facing one another. The block 30, is also connected by a link 31 with a second preferably parallel block of like construction, which is fulcrumed about centrally between the rails of the siding; and

if either block 30 or 32, is shifted the other block will be shifted in a like direction.

In connection with the above described switch, I employ a trip mechanism adapted to be located upon the engine or another part of a train, said trip mechanism being provided with projectionsadapted to engage the shifting blocks on either of their concave sides, the trip mechanism being under the control of an operator. Trip mechanisms which permit of such an operation are well known in the art, and I therefore have deemed it suficient to refer to them in a general way.

In the operation of the switch and its trip mechanism, if the switch is open connecting the main track with the siding as shown in Fig. 1, and atrain the engincot which is provided with a trip mechanism of the aboveindicated kind is approaching the switch and it is desired to continue on the main track, the operator on the train (that is, the engineer), will actuate the trip mechanism and cause it to engage with the right-hand side of the block 27 and rock the block upon its pivot until it inclines in a direction opposite that shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the switch points will be placed in position to close the main track, and the switch may be opened again after the last car has passed, by causing the trip mechanism on the last car to engage with the left-hand side of the block 30, which will cause the switch to-besetin an open position.

In the event the switch is closed and the train approaching the switch is intended to pass upon the siding, the trip mechanism will be brought to engage with the left-hand side of the block 27, when the switch will be carried to the position shown in Fig. 1; and after the last car of the train has passed the switch, the trip mechanism may be carried to an engagement with the right-hand side of the block 32 upon the siding, whereby the switch will be closed again.

This device is exceedingly simple, and it is applicable to a train of any description, and it may be manipulated with precision no matter how fastthe train may be traveling. It will be understood that the signal lights of the switch maybe located at any convenient point.

The segmental gear 17 is preferably provided with a handle 17 which extends through a slot in the housing 20, whereby the switch may be worked by hand.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A switch provided with switch rails, a shifting block pivoted in its central portion, and provided with concaved side surfaces, and an operative connection between the switch rails and the shifting block, substantially as described.

2. In a switch, the combination, with the nection between the points or switch rails and the rock shaft, of a rack having sliding movement upon a fixed support, a gear connected with the rock shaft and engaging with the rack, shifting blocks, and a link and lever connection between the shifting blocks and the rack, as and for the purpose specitied.

3. In a switch, the combination, with the switch points or rails, a rock shaft provided with a crank arm, and a connection between the crank arm and the switch points or rails, and a gear secured upon the rock shaft, of a rack having sliding movement and engaging with said gear, a trip block having concaved sides adapted to belocated adjacent to a rail,

. and a lever and link connection between one end of the block and the rack, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOSEPH E. DOWNER. Witnesses:

Ronnn'r SMITH, WILLIAM BRYDEN.

points or switch rails, a rock shaft, and a con- 

